Garment hanger rack



June 28, 1938. w. c. McDERMOTT GARMENT HANGER RACK Filed May 10, 195'! L Jwucnion S We: 01,

Patented June 28, 1938 UNITED STATES PATIENT: OFFlE '1 Claims. The invention relates to racks for holding garment hangers and has as an object the provision of a device of this character which will hold a considerable number of garment hangers, keep",

ing them in order and available for convenient use.

It is afurther object of the invention to provide a rack upon which garment hangers may be stored or upon which they may be shipped for sale.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention, and

wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the device with one hanger in place;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure of Figure 1; and

20 Figs. 3 and 4 are and 4-4: respectively of Figure 1.

In the use of garment hangers in manufacturing and merchandising establishments it is the usual practice to throw the hangers into a bin 25 when garments are taken ofi fromthem, and the hooks in the mass of hangers become entangled so that it is difiiculttospeedily remove a hanger from the mass when wanted for use.

To keep the hangers in order and ready to be 30 easily secured when wanted, the rack of the invention comprises a pair of rods H], H desirably of metal. For a rack to hold substantially fifty hangers of the type shown at l2, the rods II),

II if of metal may be made about one-fourth inch in diameter and desirably of metal that is resilient.

At one end each of the rods II), II, which are normally spaced apart, are curved as at [3, M to be brought into close juxtaposition and extend as at l5 a slight distance in parallelism downwardly, being then turned upwardly at It to provide the portions l1, 18 parallel and in substantial contact.

The upper portions of the rods III, II as shown in Figure 1 are made to converge as at I9, 20 and are formed to a T-head, which may be done by bending the terminals thereof outwardly to provide the outward standing stub shafts 2|, 22. The portions of the rods where they are parallel 0 just below the T-head may be welded or pressed together.

A handle and locking device is shown in the form of a D handle member 23 provided with eyes 24, 25 taking over the stub shafts 2|, 22 and revoluble thereon.

detail sections on lines 3-3 The upper ends of portions ll, 13 of the frame of therack areshown as notched as at 26 and terminating slightly above the stub shafts 2|, 22. A springmember 21 is shown pivoted at 28 to the loops 2d, as shown in Figure 3 eccentrically to the axesof stub shafts 2 I, 22.

Thespring 21 is formed into a bail at 29 and the eccentric connectionto the loops 24, 25 will have the result that when the handle 23 isswung to the upright position shown in Figures 1 and 2,

the-bail 29 will be pressed into the notch 26, thereby urging the members l1, l8 toward the T-head oi the rack. On the other hand, when the handle is swung to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3, the bail 29 will be caused to move in the dotted line path indicated in Figure 3 to release the upper ends of the members l1, l8 and to provide a free path for entry of the wirefitl of hangers l2 between said members l1, l8.

A loop or eye 3i is desirably provided upon the rack spaced from the upper portion thereof a sufficient distance to not interfere with the movement of the handle 23. When the rack is empty it may be hung upon the wall by the loop 3! and as fast as garment hangers become out of use, the wire 30 thereof is inserted between the free ends of rods l1, l8 and may be pressed downwardly to the point indicated at 32, Figure 1, and subsequent hangers may be forced down into contact with the present is full. The hangers will be placed into the rack with the hooks all in one direction. When therack is full, it may be locked by movement to vertical position of the handle 33 and may then be stored or transferred to a position where hangers are desired for use.

When wanted for use, the entire contents of the rack may be hung upon a horizontal rod by a single movement and the rack may then be pulled oii from the hangers, leaving the whole of the hangers upon the rod ready for use.

It is contemplated that the invention may be utilized for shipping its component of hangers from the factory where the hangers are produced, in which case the entire number of hangers in a merchandising establishment will have a home in a rack when they are not in use.

The parallel rods Ill, ll constitute the body of the device and obviously may be substituted by a slat or bar of wood, plywood, or other material. In this event, the equivalent of the portions I1, l8 should be resiliently attached to the lower end of the body of the rack.

Minor changes may be made in the physic l hanger until the rack embodiment of the invention within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A garment hanger rack comprising: a body portion; elongated clamp means resiliently secured at one end to, and extending parallel with said body portion; said clamp means being divided and adapted to receive hook wires of a plurality of garment hangers therebetween and means on the body portion engaging the other end of said clamping means whereby the bars of the hangers disposed between the clamp means and the bodyportion are resiliently clamped against said body portion.

2. A garment hanger rack comprising: a body portion; a pair of rods parallel with each other and with said body portion and each resiliently secured at one end to said body portion; said rods adapted to receive the hook wire of a garment hanger therebetween and means engaging the other end of said rods thereby resiliently pressing the bar of the hanger disposed between the body portion and rods against said body portion.

3. A garment hanger rack comprising: a body portion; elongated clamp means resiliently secured at one end to, and extending parallel with said body portion; said clamp means divided to receive the hook wires of a plurality of garment hangers therebetween; and means to resiliently and releasably secure the free ends of said clamp means to the body portion; whereby the bars of said hangers disposed between the body portion and clamp means are resiliently clamped against the body portion.

4. A garment hanger rack comprising: a body portion comprising a pair of spaced rods converging and secured together at their ends; a pair of parallel, closely adjacent rods resiliently secured at one end of each to the corresponding end of said body portion rods, and adapted to receive the hook wire of a hanger therebetween and the bar of a hanger between said rods and body portion; and means on said body portion adapted toengage and secure the other end of said closely adjacent rods.

5. A garment hanger rack comprising: a body portion formed of a rod bent to provide'members spaced apart throughout the major portion of their extent but converging to near proximity at the ends of said body portion; a handle pivotally secured at one end of said body portion and provided with a locking means; the free ends of the rod forming said body portion at the end opposite to said handle being bent back to extend substantially the full length of the body portion and centrally thereof, and adapted to be resiliently engaged by said locking means. I

6. A garment hanger rack comprising: a body portion formed of a rod so bent as to provide members spaced apart for the major part of said bodyportion but converging to close proximity at the ends of said body portion, said rod being bent to form an eye at one end of the body portion and adapted to receive a handle, a handle pivotally mounted in said eye and provided With a resilient locking means; the free ends of said rod forming said body portion at that end of said body portion opposite said handle being bent back adjacent to each other to extend slightly beyond the handle end of said body portion and centrally of said body portion, catch notches formed near the extremity of said free ends, and adapted to be engaged by said locking means.

'7. A garment hanger rack comprising: an elongated body portion; a pair of elongated resilient clamp members resiliently connected at one end of each in close proximity to each other to and adjacent an end of said body portion and extending parallel with and normally in close proximity to said body portion at the same side thereof;

said clamp members being disconnected from each other throughout their length and at their free ends to permit insertion of the hook wires of garment hangers between them at their free ends with the bars thereof between the body portion and members, and to be slipped downwardly therebetween; the resilience of said clamp members and connection acting to clamp the bars of said garment hangers against said body portion when said bars are so placed.

WALLACE C. MCDERMOTT. 

